Night.
The boy and girl walked toward the dormitories.
Yuki Himeno lifted her head slightly. After a moment's hesitation, she finally couldn't help asking, "Kouya, why did you suggest that the Student Council president crack down harder on violent behavior?"
The viewers watching the anime in the real world had no idea what Dokuho Kouya had asked for.
But Yuki Himeno, who had been there in person, had heard clearly what Kouya had requested of the Student Council president.
Stricter punishments for violence, provocation, and similar behavior.
For example, a fight that might normally earn a week's suspension and a ten-point deduction for the class could instead result in a month's suspension and a fifty-point deduction, along with possible penalties to the students' individual points.
On top of that, if both sides fought, the person deemed to have provoked the fight would receive a harsher punishment. And if that person had not only provoked the other but thrown the first punch, the penalty would be even more severe.
Yuki couldn't understand it.
They'd finally caught the Student Council president with something to use against him. They should have taken the opportunity to blackmail him.
But Kouya had only asked the president to strengthen the oversight and punishments for violence, provocation, and similar behavior. It was baffling.
Dokuho Kouya had known the girl would have questions, so he calmly asked her, "Do you know Ryuen Kakeru from Class C?"
"Uh..." Yuki froze for a moment, then shook her head. "No."
She rarely paid attention to anything outside her own class and had never even heard Ryuen Kakeru's name.
"Ryuen Kakeru is the leader of Class 1-C. He rules his class through violence."
Kouya spoke slowly. "This school is far more tolerant of violence than you might think. If we don't take precautions in advance, Ryuen could drag our class into trouble."
In the original story, Ryuen had targeted what was originally Class B, leading Class C into numerous conflicts with them.
Faced with that kind of onslaught, the original Class B had virtually no way to fight back and lost a lot of Class Points.
After the midterm exams, every class should have received one hundred Class Points from the school. Yet the original Class B and Class C had barely gained any at all.
Seeing that the original Class B in the story had no way to stop Ryuen's attacks, Dokuho Kouya knew this was his chance to prove himself.
He had originally planned to go through the proper channels, find the Student Council, and spend some individual points to request a change to the rules.
But since he'd happened to witness Manabu Horikita bullying his younger sister, he'd simply made his request to Manabu on the spot.
As for the points needed to change the school rules, he would naturally make Manabu Horikita pay them.
"So you did all that for the sake of our class?"
Hearing what the boy said, Yuki's eyes brightened, and a faint smile appeared on her pretty face.
She knew it. Kouya only said he didn't care about the class.
But if something happened to the class, he'd definitely lend a hand.
Just like this time: Ryuen Kakeru from Class C hadn't even made a move yet, but Kouya had already asked the Student Council president to revise the school rules, taking away Ryuen's weapon.
"I actually have another reason. The class was just a side benefit."
"If that's what you say, Kouya, then I'll believe you."
Yuki pressed her lips together slightly. As far as she was concerned, the boy was just being stubborn.
But in truth, Dokuho Kouya really did have other motives.
If he could predict Ryuen's moves in advance and come up with a solution before his classmates started worrying about how to deal with Ryuen's attack, then make preparations with ease, the viewers would surely find him more likable.
As for the class, it really was just a side benefit.
Night.
The upper floors of the student dormitory.
Outside Honami Ichinose's room.
Yuki Himeno stood quietly in the hallway, her violet eyes gazing blankly at the distant, star-speckled sky.
A gentle breeze stirred her violet twin tails, but did nothing to ease her melancholy.
"Should I really tell Ichinose about all this?"
Yuki rested one hand against her cheek, thinking back to what Dokuho Kouya had said before they parted.
She tended to be more rational and practical. If she could offer Ichinose some advice, the class would become stronger.
Yuki didn't think she was particularly capable, but Kouya had no reason to lie to her, so for now, she could only take him at his word.
"I hope Ichinose won't hate me."
Yuki muttered under her breath.
"Huh? Why would I hate you, Yuki?"
A lively girl's voice came from behind her.
Yuki jumped in fright and hurriedly turned around. Sure enough, there was the adorable girl with pink hair.
"I-Ichinose... You've got it wrong. I wasn't saying anything bad about you."
Talking one-on-one with the most popular student in class made Yuki nervous.
"Yuki, you don't have to be afraid."
Noticing how tongue-tied Yuki was, Honami Ichinose smiled and said, "I believe you."
She didn't mean that she believed Yuki hadn't said anything bad about her.
She simply believed what Yuki said.
Reassured by Ichinose, the usually laid-back girl finally calmed down. She said, a little embarrassed, "Sorry you had to see me make a fool of myself."
She'd been psyching herself up for a while and had even thought about what sort of opening line to use when she met Ichinose.
But when she actually saw Ichinose, she couldn't remember a thing. All that preparation had gone to waste.
"By the way, Yuki, don't you get migraines?"
Ichinose blinked her lovely eyes and said with concern, "You shouldn't stay outside in the wind. You'd better get some rest soon."
Just as she'd said, she believed Yuki.
Since Yuki had said she suffered from migraines, Ichinose naturally had no reason to doubt her. Instead, she worried about Yuki's health.
Hearing her concerned words, Yuki hurriedly shook her head and explained, "Ichinose, I don't actually have migraines at all."
"I only pretended I had a headache so I could get out of the gathering. There's really nothing wrong with me."
She really wanted to just go back to her own dorm room.
But thinking that her advice might genuinely help the class, she chose to stay in front of Ichinose.
"Ichinose, there's something I'd like to tell you."
Yuki took a deep breath, worked up her courage, and spoke despite her nerves. "It's about the class. I have another idea I'd like to share with you."
"Something about the class?"
Seeing that the girl seemed different from usual, Ichinose was a little puzzled, but still gave her a bright smile. "Yuki, you can just call me Honami."
"It's pretty windy outside. Let's go back to the dorm and talk."
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